The UK Government's Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is developing a regime for the regulation of radioactively contaminated land in the UK that is expected to come into force in the next year or so.
The regime will focus on historic contamination where there is a potential need for intervention actions to reduce or avert radiation doses. It does not cover contaminated land on nuclear licensed sites.
Defra has commissioned Quintessa, supported by URS Corporation, to develop a 'Radioactively Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment' (RCLEA) model for quantitative risk assessment. It will complement the existing 'CLEA' model for non-radioactively contaminated land. The project will involve the development of documentation and associated computer models. The proposed approach will be consulted upon in late May and June 2005 (details will be available at www.safegrounds.com). The finalised methodology will be available in early 2006.